The joy of straight and level flight.

I'm looking forward to my lesson this weekend. My flight instructor is booked all day Saturday, so I don't think I'm going to fly tomorrow. I told her to call me in case of a no-show or cancellation. I only live about 10 minutes from the airport, so I can be there in a jiffy. I do have a lesson scheduled for Sunday. Steep turns are on the syllabus.

I was talking to someone today about flying and I realized that my favorite part about flying is flying straight and level. Maybe it's because I'm still new to flying, but I really enjoy puttering along at about 100 m.p.h. in the school's Cessna 150 at 3000 feet. Flying above Vancouver and Portland, you can see Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. St. Helens from our practice area. When it is a clear day, the contrast of the white, snow covered mountains and the brisk blue sky is amazing.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy taking off and landing, practicing stalls, and learning the basic maneuvers. But that is a different kind of fun. During those things, I am completely engaged, totally focused on my task.

As a bonus, since it is winter, the air is considerably calmer (or at least, so I'm told) than during the summer. My flight instructor told me I was getting spoiled by all the cold, calm air. I hope I get spoiled this weekend.